Incharge

Chapter 21

Scarlet Collins

I hadn't seen him properly since Emmy's party. Every time we saw each other out in the corridor he would walk off or return to his room without a word and it was killing me.

Thomas was (for the most part) out the window. We weren't even together and he thought he had some claim on me? No thanks. Thank god a drunk Meghan speaks her truth. None of them liked his personality although Emmy says she'll still smash if she gets a chance. He doesn't matter though. Yesterday was Sunday and I had told him that it wasn't working out and today Emmy and Meghan were sending me pictures of his tongue down another girl's throat from that very Sunday evening.

Miss Grenton tried to make light conversation with us but was only answered by me as Nick 'wasn't in the mood'.

He had been silent or had only given one word answers for the whole duration of the journey so far. We had already been on the road for an hour and I couldn't bare another silent one. Because of this, I asked Miss Grenton if we could make a stop at the next petrol station so I could go to the toilet (and buy some extra snacks of course).

It only took a few short minutes to arrive and Miss Grenton asked us to go in together, "When you're back I'll go in for some bits and pieces. Just don't want any of you two to be alone."

Reluctantly, Nick followed behind me as we walked through the door, ringing a little bell. Not many people were walking around so I decided I would make a beeline for the singular toilet while no one else was around.

"I'll just go to the toilet then get some snacks. You just going to hang about here?"

He lifted his head in response which I assumed was yes and went off through the women's door. When I came back out, Nick hadn't moved and had a fixed gaze on the door. Not like he isn't already a creep for standing still, he also has to stare at the women's bathroom.

I grabbed a drink from the fridge section and a sandwich when someone bumped into me.

"Sorry, that was my fault. You okay?" Damn he was fine.

Before I could answer this poor apologetic guy, a shadow towered over me, "She's fine, thanks for asking." Nick spoke back to the guy with a clipped tone of finality. "Scarlet?" He nodded for me to move away and pay for my stuff. "Miss Grenton will be waiting." God I hate it when he is right.

I paid up at the counter and took my little green shopping bag with me to Miss Grenton's car. She saw us and exited the car, "I'll just be a minute."

I nodded and smiled at her as she walked past to enter the petrol station. I hauled my bag into the car before climbing in after it, shutting the door behind me.

"What the hell is wrong with you? That guy was just apologising to me!"

Nick didn't even take his eyes off of his phone, "He meant to walk into you."

"What are you on about?"

"He watched you go through the door to go to the toilet, followed you to the fridge section and walked backwards into you."

I gave a haughty laugh, "You're crazy. Delusional."

Nick shrugged at me keeping his glare fixed on whatever was playing on his phone. I decided that I would ignore him for the rest of the drive and so I turned my back on him. Maybe I can get a nap in before we get to the Willowlands Centre.

We arrived shortly after one o'clock and were greeted by a guided dressed in a green Willowlands fleece and black legging with a matching logo - A white willow tree with a cursive 'w' and 'c' etched into the tree trunk.

Nick and I said our goodbyes to Miss Grenton who promised to be right on time for pickup on Friday afternoon. With our bags, we followed the guide through a large foyer to a widespread wooden desk.

"Hello!" An excited secretary asked from behind her monitor. "Welcome to the Willowlands Centre Leadership Program. What school are you guys from?"

"Harrowhill Prep." I replied brightly, feeling that I had to match the energy.

The secretary shuffled through some papers and files before pulling out to lanyards and scanning them through her computer. "Keep these with you throughout your stay here, they will let you access your rooms as well as the gym and dining hall. Let me just check here..."

A perplexed look crept onto the woman's face. "What is it?" I elbowed Nick for being rude - the lady seemed very nice.

"Well- um- it seems you have been assigned the same room." I looked at her questioningly. Um, what? "It turns out one school has registered two head boys and two head girls so they are each sharing a room." She continue clacking on her keyboard, "This means there is only the spare room available for the two of you... to share."

Oh Fuck.

Nick leaned over her desk, almost pleading, "Is there really nothing you can do?"

"I'm sorry. We have so many schools that this is the only room we have available on your block, it wasn't even meant to be full this week. You guys know each other though, I'm sure you'll get along just fine."

I smiled back at her and agreed. Our guide reappeared from behind the desk and showed us to our room. We walked through so many corridors and up so many flights of stairs that I was well and truly lost in the Willowlands Centre. As we opened the stairwell door to level D the guide pointed us down the corridor.

"One of those doors at the far end." I thanked her while Nick just grunted in reply.

We hauled our luggage down the corridor to room D410. I scanned my card on the lock and swung the door open.

Nick barged in front of me to get first picks on a bed but stopped in the short hallway to laugh. "I understand now that when the secretary emphasised 'share' she wasn't kidding." I couldn't see why he was laughing, "I'll take the right side Gorgeous."

The right side? What-

And then I saw it. A kingsize bed. Not two. Just one. To share.